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06/20/2023

More Than Half of States Now Recognize Juneteenth as an Official Public Holiday

At least 28 states and D.C. legally recognize it this year

The newest federal holiday, Juneteenth National Independence Day, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. But at the state level, governments vary considerably in whether they commemorate it as an official holiday, a day of observance or something in between.

This year, at least 28 states and the District of Columbia will legally recognize Juneteenth as a public holiday – meaning state government offices are closed and state workers have a paid day off – according to a Pew Research Center analysis of state human resources websites, state legislation and news articles. Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada and Tennessee have made Juneteenth a public holiday at the state level starting this year.

In most of these states, Juneteenth is designated as a permanent state holiday and commemorated annually. In Alabama and West Virginia, Juneteenth has been authorized as a state holiday for this year by a governor’s proclamation; the holiday can become permanent in these states if their legislatures pass bills to make it so.  

Please select this link to read the complete article from Pew Research Center.

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